Means for controlling the operation of pawl-and-ratchet mechanism



Aug. 21, 1923. 1,465,258

A.G.FRENCH MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF PAWL AND RATCHET MECHANISM Filed Dec. 50, 1921 eimrneyi through stationary Patented'A ug. 21, 11923.

' ARTHUR GORDON FRENCH, or nLrnrncnnn, Enenann. ASSIGNOR TO LrnorYrn' V; "Ann ACHINERY nvrrrr n, or Lennon, ENGLAND; I

MEANS FOR) CONTROLLING :THE' OPERATION, or PAWL-AND-RATCHET MECHANISM.

Application filedDecember 30, 1921. serial'no. 525,928.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR GORDON 'FRENoH, a subject of the'King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and resident at Linotype and'MachineryWo'rks,

Altrincham, in the county of Chester, Bug

land, have invented new and useful" Im .provements in Means for ,Controllingthe Operation of Pawland-Ratchet Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in means for controlling the operation of pawl and ratchet mechanism, either; rotary or rectilinear, of the kind in which the effectivestroke of the pawl is determined by an adjustable shroud interposed betweenit and the teeth ofthe ratchet.

The invention is particularly applicable to rotary ratchet mechanism such as that employed for intermittently rotating rollers of the water motion in lithographic printing presses, and it is hereinafter,as a convenient example, described in that connection; The object of the invention is so to construct the mechanism that itshall at all times clearly indicate the extent to which the mechanism is being operated, and-to provide means whereby such extent may be (conveniently varied, irrespective of whether the'mechanism is in operationor at rest.

tion is illustratedfin .the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front eleovation partly insection and Figure 2 a plan.

As shown in these drawings, the plate 1 carrying the shroud 2is, as ordinarily, adjustable about a short shaft 3 which is coaxial with the shaft icarrying the ratchet wheel 5, and according to the present invention, has on its periphery a toothedsegment (3 engagingwith a rack 7 rectilinearly adj ustable in suitable stationary'guides 8.

A'screwed rod 9 attached to one end of, or integral with, the rack 7, loosely passes lugs 10, 11, between which is housed a nut 12 threaded onfthe rod 9, while a secondnut 13, located at the outside of'the lug 11, is provided for use as a lock nut. V

The extreme end of the screwed rod 9 has attached to it a pointer v14 adapted to register withra fixed scale 15 divided into numbered graduations indicating in terms of ratchet teeth the extent to which the mecha' nism is being operated. This operation is,

as ordinarily, j ment of the ,5, saidpawl ratchet at restv or at work, and the effected through the engagepawl 16 with the ratchet wheel 7 being connected in any convens ient manner, as'for example, by alever arm, 17, to which it is pivotally connected, fast on one end of the shaft 3 to whoseother end is rigidly secured a second lever arm 18 connected through a link 19 with a crank pin 20 carriedby the crank disc 21.

When the shroud is in its zero position as represented in the drawings, in which posi tionthe. engagement of the pawl 16 with the ratchetwheel5 is entirely prevented, the pointer correspondingly registers with the zero mark on .the scale. Assuming'the last mentioned position'to be the one from which adjustment is to be made and that it has been decided that the tated to the extent of say three teeth, thenthe lock nut 13 is released and the adjusting nut 12 is turned until the pointer-1 L; registers with the number'3 division of the scale, after which the lock against the lug 11'. The shroud 2 will'then be in such a position that three teethor" the wheel 5 will be exposed to the operation of the pawl 16, thislast result being attained by the engagement-of the sliding rack '7 with the toothed segment 6 on the shroud plate 1'. The above selected example of the inven- The adjusting and indicating mechanism is located in a conveniently accessible position clear of the working parts of the machine, so that the necessary be made at alltimes whether the machine is pointer and scale are at all times visible so that the operator can at a glance ascertain working. 1

Having described my. invention, I declare that what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is i I V 1; Means for controlling the operation. of

pawl and ratchet mechanism comprising in combination a shroud adjustable' for varying the number of ratchet teeth engaged by the pawl, a toothedsegment fast to the shroud,

ratchet shall be ronut 13 is again tightened adjustments may the condition of a rack engaging the segment, a pointer fast to the rack, a fixed scale with which the pointer is adapted to register, and means op- .erative to adjust the rack and pointer simultaneously.

2. Means for-controlling the operation of pawl and ratchet mechanism comprising in;

- combination a shroud adjustable for varying the number of ratchet teeth engaged by the pawl. 2L toothed. eeg'n'ient to the shroud, rack engaging the segment, so screwed rod fast to the rack, a nut threaded on the screwed rod for moving the reek longitudinally, and means for preventing axial movement of the nut.

3. Means for controlling the operation of pawl and ratchet mechanism comprising: in eomblnatlon a shroud ad ustable for varying the number of ratchet teeth engaged by the pawl, 21 toothed segment fast to the shronth a rack engaging the segment, a screwed rod to the rack, a nut threaded on the screwed red for moving the rack 10ngitudinuiiy, means for preventing axial movement of the nut 2L nointer i st to the screwed rod, and fixed scale with which the pointer is adapted to register.

In testil'nony Whereoi T have affixed my 20 signature hereto.

ARTHUR GORDON FRENCH. 

